Wednesday, February 18, 2009

WINDY CITY, SUNNY SKIES

This week it’s all about the Windy City where four all breed shows kick off tomorrow on fashionable Lake Shore Drive with the Park Shore Kennel Club show, continuing on Friday with the Blackhawk Kennel Club event, and culminating with two shows hosted by the International Kennel Club of Chicago. These used to be mega events, but hard economic times have reduced entries to the 2000 dog level, still very respectable, if not top 25. In the New York metro area, you can head up to Rockland County and the town of Suffern NY where we have the Wallkillsunday Kennel Club hosting on Friday, and the Rockland County Kennel Club doing the honors on Saturday and Sunday.

Chicago Lakefront

If you’ve had enough of winter already, you need a six show weekend to gather those last few points, and you don’t mind driving between shows, check out the Valdosta Kennel Club’s offering Friday in…. Valdosta GA, then pack up the SUV and drive the 90 minutes to Tallahassee FL for the double header from the Ochlockonee River Kennel Club Of Florida. Then pack up and drive two hours to Dothan AL for the Southeast Alabama Kennel Club’s show. Then if you still need points and you have any gas left in the tank, drive less than an hour to Marianna FL for the two shows by the Greater Panama City Dog Fanciers Association. You may not finish your dog, but if you leave the sunroof open, you’ll get a nice tan.

Boca Raton FL, Intercoastal Waterway

Finally, if you are like us and like to visit places you could never afford to live, get a blood test and visit the Boca Raton (FL) Kennel Club on Saturday or the Silver Bay Kennel Club of San Diego’s two day event in the ocean front town of Del Mar CA. Oh, and they will have some really nice dogs there as well.

NUMBER EIGHT

NUMBER NINE

NUMBER TEN

SHOW INFO

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The author has been attending dog shows as a spectator and exhibitor for over 45 years. He is a retired management consultant who has advised multiple organizations affiliated with the AKC and the Cat Fanciers Association on business management, long range planning, customer service, and legislative matters. After 25 years of living in the big cities of New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, he now resides in his hometown of Memphis, TN.

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